Bait-and-Switch in Bay Ridge by Basile Builders
In a move that won’t exactly improve public opinion of developers, the Basile Builders Group last week demolished three Victorian homes in Bay Ridge which, according to the Brooklyn Eagle, it had originally promised to restore. As the blog Cititours documented in the photos above, the purveyors of all things Fedders pulled the old bait-and-switch…
In a move that won’t exactly improve public opinion of developers, the Basile Builders Group last week demolished three Victorian homes in Bay Ridge which, according to the Brooklyn Eagle, it had originally promised to restore. As the blog Cititours documented in the photos above, the purveyors of all things Fedders pulled the old bait-and-switch on the community. We’re restoring the Victorian homes, Rocco Basile originally told the Eagle at the end of August. The Bay Ridge Conservancy’s Victoria Hofmo wasn’t buying it at the time, calling the three contiguous houses “fine, structurally and not in need of any tampering. Turns out her suspicions about the developers’ intentions were right. Vile. Update: There is a meeting with local officials tonight at 7 pm at PS 170 at 6th Avenue and 72nd Street to discuss this situation and how to protect the neighborhood in general from similar threats.
Death Row Update: Bay Ridge Victorians Destroyed [Citiblog] GMAP
In Bay Ridge, Another Historic Site Is on the Road to Demolition [Brooklyn Eagle]
Three Historic Bay Ridge Homes Bought by Condo Developer [Brooklyn Eagle]
Bay Ridge Victorians ‘On Death Row’ [Curbed]
Photos courtesy of Cititour.com
Who cares? Someone is putting the land to obviously better use. It’s simple economics. If any of you “cared” about these houses so much you could have bought them yourselves and dumped endless amounts of money “restoring” them to what you believe to be their former glory.
Is it possible for people selling their homes to put into the contract that the houses will not be torn down. Then they can sue for breach of contract? We really need LPC to move on these neighborhoods, I live in DPW and a lot of houses are going like this!!
Do you care about ANYTHING but higher density?
There are thousands of other similar houses. This is no loss, and now that land will house 20 families instead of 3.
Historical preservation laws exist to enhance a community, not preserve every last old building in the city. Look how much of Manhattan has been redeveloped over the past century, and it still retains much of its character. This is not a big loss, and all this bickering does is convince the masses preservationists have no interest improving their communities for everyone and instead are interested in merely excluding everyone who can’t afford a huge victorian mansion.
“Basile Builders Group, one of New York City’s hottest names in real estate development, brings dynamic grace, originality and modern substance to 21st century living.”
Like this shithole with ridiculous mansard roof:
http://basilebuilders.com/catherineestates.html
and this shithole, with postage-stamp balconies on the front and scrawny windows that don’t line up with the neighbors:
http://basilebuilders.com/71carrollstreet.html
However, I have to say, this one that’s coming to Windsor Terrace looks really cool. Why can’t they put this kind of style into their other projects? And why do they have to tear down beautiful houses for the land? There are plenty of vacant lots and dilapidated houses in BKLYN!
http://basilebuilders.com/thesimone.html
And this one in the West Village is new construction that fits in with nearby warehouses. So they’re not completely lacking a soul:
http://basilebuilders.com/55vestry.html
Or you THINK they’re not lacking a soul, until you look at this MASSIVE shithole–YIKES! Ugliest building ever:
http://basilebuilders.com/prospect_row.html
To the people who complained yesterday about the landmarking in Midwood and Fiske Terrace, THIS is why it is necessary. I don’t want to hear about how new Fedders condos are going to help the housing crisis in Bay Ridge, because that’s crap. These homes may not have been the architectural equivilent of a Pfizer mansion, but so what? They were the family homes in a neighborhood that has been traditionally one and two family homes since the day they were built. That part of BR has always had a suburban feel. Not anymore. Worse yet, it sounds as if one of the owners was bamboozled into selling on spurious grounds. AND the scummy developer lied through his teeth. This is just out and out wrong. The only good that can come out of it is if this finally causes Bay Ridgers to pressure their elected officials to work with them to get parts of the neighborhood landmarked as soon as possible, before there is nothing left.
Preservationista
Don’t think they can do anything about it. The developers reportedly lied to the community and at least one of the sellers, but the houses aren’t landmarked so there’s no law against tearing them down.
that’s disgraceful! what is DOB going to do about it?
Disgusting. Absolutely disgraceful.